Sage of the Earth Temple
by Zaichik Arky
Summary: This is a short Wind Waker fic about Komali and Medli. I'm pretty new here and haven't found any good Wind Waker fics. If you can direct you to some, you've just made a new friend XD. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy this fic...


Link's gone now. the Earth Temple is finally at peace. for the moment. but what am I to do but sit here and pray? Am I this trivial? There must be something else I can do! Lost in her own thoughts, Medli, young sage of the Earth Temple glanced at the precious instrument in her hands. I guess there is only one thing left to do. With that, she positioned her hands on the golden strings, closed her eyes and let the music pour from her soul, as if she had been playing the same melody for hundreds of years.  
  
"O goddess of the Zora. my ancestor." She prayed. " please hear my prayers."  
  
Just as it had happened before, a tiny spark of iridescent light appeared before her. In a flash of soft light, the spirit of Laruto appeared before her. "I'm here, child." Laruto spoke, softly. "What is it that you wish?"  
  
"Oh! I'm very humbled to be at your presence, thank you for arriving so fast."  
  
"Medli, it is alright if you speak to me as your equal." She said gently "In a way I am."  
  
"Equal to you?" She repeated.  
  
"In a parallel world.." A surprised look struck her face."I know of the legends, but I still can't believe my eyes. and ears? I am a Rito. winged messenger who rides the wind, you're a Zora. I thought your people were only passed down through legends. I've always been so fascinated."  
  
"The Zora are a proud aquatic race. at least more graceful than OctorOks" She smiled. Medli couldn't help but suppress a giggle from that imagery. "I see."  
  
"As a sage," she continued "I was chosen from birth to take care of the Lord Jabu-Jabu. I was descended from a long line of Zora to tend to his needs. However, this was not my destiny. My grandmother Ruto tended to him constantly, and loved to even go swimming inside of his stomach!"  
  
"Oh my." Medli couldn't imagine exploring around inside a great big fish, but didn't let her curiosity of the matter undermine her respect of her elder.  
  
"It was not until a young boy, clad in green, similar to your good friend, Link , came to my grandmother Ruto . before I was even born. that things began to change." Her voice became sullen, as she recalled the difficult events years ago. "Lord Jabu-Jabu detected a foul presence in the water, and my grandmother felt it too. Her primary thoughts were to blame Link.."  
  
"Link?" Medli perked up. "The Link I know?"  
  
"Have you not heard the legend?"  
  
"Ah, Link! Forgive me. the Hero of Time is of whom you speak?"  
  
"Yes. the Hero of Time. Your ancestors knew of him by his Kokiri name. Link."  
  
"I see, much of the world has forgotten this, your highness." Her demeanor suddenly switched back to infinite-respect mode, which slightly disheartened Laruto. "So Link inherited his ancestor's name?"  
  
"The Hero of Time should be worshipped as a God himself, he was of Hyrulian blood, but raised by the docile Kokiri tribe in the woods. he was an outcast of sorts. this is why he was chosen by the Deku tree to be the Hero of Time in the first place, he knew of his nobility."  
  
"The Great Deku Tree?" She repeated again, all these names corresponded to entities living in her own world. It was no wonder Laruto called it a Parallel World. "The same one that is living in the Forest Haven?"  
  
"No, a descendant of the old one who had died in my time. The Deku Tree who you know is the son, if you will, of the one I knew."  
  
"He must be older than I thought." Medli said, almost to herself, inciting Laruto to slightly chuckle.  
  
"Oh, pardon me for being rude.."  
  
"No, not at all. Yes, the Deku Tree race can never grown thin, I believe. I also believe there will forever be a Great Deku Tree on this earth. no matter whatever mayhem Gannon chooses to inflict upon this earth."  
  
"This is a comforting thought in such troubling times." Medli smiled  
  
"Worry not, dear child. I know your friend Rinku is the chosen one."  
  
"I trust him too." A look of hesitance still was written on her face.  
  
"Then what is it that you fear?"  
  
"I fear for the safety of Komali.."  
  
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Now that Medli and I are finished with the Earth Temple, I gotta check up on Komali like I promised. Thought Link as he was swinging himself across with the grappling hook his friend, Medli, gave to him. He smiled. I hope he's there also so I could take a pictograph of him and his father for my collection! Haven't visited Dragon Roost in a while. gotta work on my Rito statue collection! As he ran up the bridge leading up inside Dragon Roost, he saw a familiar figure, staring off into the horizon, just outside the entrance.  
  
"Whoa, Komali!" He said, as soon as he approached him, very surprised he would find him right there.  
  
"Hey there Link!"  
  
"How are you doing, Prince?"  
  
"Hm. a bit distressed." He said, slightly frowning  
  
"What's wrong?" Link asked, concerned. He was supposed to look after Komali's well-being after all. He would hate for Komali to be back to the sulky little fledgling he once knew.  
  
"It's Medli."  
  
"Medli." Link repeated, not quite knowing what to say.  
  
"You know her, right?"  
  
Link smiled "Heh, well, yeah. I do."  
  
"I don't know where she is.." He said, looking back to the horizon. "I went and picked this Gloranstium flower for her. they're rare you know."  
  
"Oh? It's pretty." Link replied, eying the small, dainty violet flower  
  
"It's her favorite. I wanted to see her face beam when I gave it to her." Komali smiled at the thought  
  
"You're really fond of Medli, aren't you?" Link asked, gently  
  
Komali's face turned a shade redder for a moment "Well, yeah, I am. I've known her since I was just a small fledgling. she's always been kind and patient with me, even when I didn't deserve it." He looked back down at the flower. "And she was very close to my grandmother. I respected her for that, because my grandmother was always there for me.  
  
" You know, Medli could never fly as high up on top of the Roost. even though she gained her wings, she seems to have a bit of trouble flying straight for long distances.." Komali smiled again, remembering secretly watching her use her newfound wings for the first time  
  
"Hah, I noticed!" Link exclaimed  
  
"Really? You've seen her practice?" Komali looked surprised.  
  
Link blushed, not knowing how to respond. "Uh. yeah. I did. hehhe. She'll be better."  
  
"I know. I was surprised I took to flying so well. I'm sure she'll catch up to me soon." Komali was lost in thought for a moment when he remembered how Valoo gave to him the gift of flight he was yearning, and how he flew back down the entrance of the Roost all by himself, the whole Rito tribe greeting him and celebrating his feat. It was an especially great feeling from him to receive an embrace from Medli upon his arrival.  
"Medli told me she was so proud of me when I got my wings, Link."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"She's never told me she was proud of me before. I wasn't sure what I could do to gain her approval of me. But she told me that she had always been proud of me."  
  
"Aw Komali.. Don't be so critical of yourself. You know Medli's always been close to you. She is also very fond of you."  
  
Komali brightened up. "You really think so?"  
  
"I know it's true."  
  
His smile was quickly gone nonetheless. He stared back out at the ocean "I hope she's alright.."  
  
Knowing that Komali wasn't going to say anything else, Link knew it was time to leave him alone for a moment. "Um Komali, I'm going back inside now, I need to take a pictograph of your dad to save in my album."  
  
"That's fine, Link.. I'll see you later."  
  
"Bye now." With that, Link left the young Rito Price to himself as he himself wandered up to the Roost in search of his father.  
  
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He wandered up the stairs, not quite remembering which was his room. He stopped after passing the room and having The Rito King call out his name.  
  
"Hello sire. how are you?" He said as he walked back into the room.  
  
"Doing pretty well," he said, cheerfully. "Komali's doing great now, thanks to you. Is there anything I can help you with?"  
  
"Yeah. I'd just like to get a shot of you for my pico-statue collection?"  
  
"Me? I'm humbled at your request.. go on ahead." He assumed a rather noble- looking posture and asked "Is this alright?"  
  
"Just perfect." Link said, positioning his picto-box. "I better get going now, thanks again." He said, wanting to see if Komali left yet.  
  
"No problem, come by anytime you need help. with mail or anything!"  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Bye Link." With that, he walked outside the Roost, unsurprised that Komali stood, still waiting at his post.  
  
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"Oh, Komali. you're still here." He said, nonchalantly  
  
"Yeah, I guess I'm waiting for her. as if she will fly to me from the horizon. but I think it might be in vain. I have a feeling she'll be gone for a while." He said, sadly.  
  
"Aww Komali. don't get discouraged. She'll be back.."  
  
"I hope you're right, Link.. Aww but look. My flower's gone wilted." He looked down at his receding-purple flower and gave a deep sigh. I really wanted to show it to her."  
  
"Komali." Link started  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I'll tell you a secret. if you promise not to tell anyone else." He was unable to stand Komali hurt like this, and unwilling to even think about him reverting back to how he acted before Link helped the Great Valoo. "It's about Medli, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes. it is." Link said, unsurprised by his guess.  
  
"Her role, her role in this world was perhaps even greater than mine, handed down by my ancestors. I knew it all along. even when I was a young fledgling, I knew it."  
  
"She is doing something extremely important right now, Komali." Link said, seriously. "But I can't tell you what."  
  
"I understand Link, you don't need to explain. She was talented all along. perhaps not in her flying, but you don't need to be a great flyer to be a great Rito." He smiled. "No one knows how she became so talented with the harp. but I remember her and grandmother playing it for me to lull me to sleep when I was scared at nights.. Medli never was scared like I was, she was always so brave." His voice became distant, as if he was still a young fledgling, being comforted by the two most important people in his young life.  
  
"Komali.."  
  
"Link, can you visit Medli, by yourself?" He said, suddenly  
rejuvenated.  
  
"Yes, I can." Link grinned, following his train of thought.  
  
" Then come with me. let me fly you and take you to get a fresh Gloranstium that you can take to her!"  
  
" I'll be happy to do that for you, Komali."  
  
Komali grinned, looking more happier than Link had ever seen him . He flew up and hovered over Link's head. "I'm going to grab your arms now, don't worry, it won't hurt you."  
  
"That's fine, let's go!" Komali firmly grasped Link's arms with his Talons, and with one great push with his wings, they were off in the horizon.  
  
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"Komali.. Komali." Laruto struggled to remember. "Ah! The prince of whom you are so fond of?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I was fond of someone once too. " She sighed, nostalgic of the memories.  
  
"May I ask whom?"Medli inquired  
  
"Yes, it's alright. I will tell you the rest of my story.  
  
"When I was about your age. I came across a bright, almost blinding object when I was cleaning out Jabu-Jabu's scales one day. it was at the bottom of his lake. I was scared at first, but Jabu-Jabu urged me to pick it up. He told me it belonged to me. I was entranced with it. I mean, it was so beautiful. Back then, I didn't even know it was a harp that I was touching. but when I held it in my arms, a sort of euphoric feeling came over me and my fingers were almost. possessed. I played the song that has not been heard for over 100 years. the Earth God Lyric. It was like I'd been playing it for years.  
  
"This was when everything became clear to me. why I was not keen on playing in Jabu-Jabu's body. why I wished to pray to the Gods instead of tend for him. My fate. of which he told me the next day did not surprise me. Jabu- Jabu was dying. but his son, whom you know as Jabun was alive and well and in another part of the world. Jabu-Jabu told me I must go on a journey to visit his son. by myself, to test me, a test if I was the real sage of the wind temple. It was hard, and perilous. I remember waking up on some shore or another , wondering why on earth father and son were so far apart. but my harp always shown through the darkness and pointed the way for me. Sure enough, I'd reached him. I became Jabun's attendant until he was certain I was capable of being a real sage. then I entered this very temple. which became my home for the rest of my life."  
  
"After the monster was defeated here, I sense a calmness about this temple as well. Shall I indeed leave Dragon Roost and reside here forever?"  
  
"You are a sage of the Earth Temple.. the Earth Temple must be your home." She said, gently  
  
"I know, your highness. excuse me, Laruto."  
  
"That's better." She smiled, "but remember this, Medli. even though the Earth Temple is your home, and you must always eventually return to it, you can have a house, if you will, on Dragon Roost. or wherever."  
  
Medli smiled back. "That makes me feel better."  
  
" So worry not, the young Price Komali that is set in your heart can still be with you."  
  
"Laruto."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You didn't tell me what happened to the person you were so fond of?"  
  
"Heh. well, surprisingly enough, the sage of the Earth Temple fell in love with the sage of the Wind Temple."  
  
Medli grinned, thinking of the legends of the Kokiri.."You mean Fado?"  
  
"Ah, so you know of that legend?"  
  
" I know them all, hehe. I know that the Zora evolved to my race, the Rito, and the Kokiri into the Koroks. But can I ask you. why is my race so different than the Zora?"  
  
"Hm. good question. It was actually after Gannon turned the world into darkness. Fado asked me to help him pray for the Kokiri. since I'd already made substantial progress on restoring the Zora. excuse me, Rito."  
  
"So you met him at the Wind Temple?"  
  
"Yes, the Great Deku tree, Fado, and I all worked night and day to pray and create the race of the Koroks. In that time, we became very close. His charm and spunk really cheered me up, when things were looking bleak. We kept each other company and when we were lonely, played our instruments for each other. I can never forget the happiness Fado's violin skills brought me." She smiled, reminiscing of the most special time in her life.  
  
"So what happened? Why were you and Fado split apart? Was it Gannon?"  
  
"Correct. Who else but him?" She sighed. "He killed the both of us, while we were alone in our own temples.. apart forever, but I managed to protect the power of the master sword, and protect my creation, the Rito."  
  
"You saved us all?" Medli exclaimed, almost surprised. It just dawned on her that it was because of Laruto that her people were alive today.  
  
"And Jabun. but essentially, yes. We protected the fledglings and let them grow. Until it was time for them to make a nest of their own, that is."  
  
"So they left for Dragon Roost?"  
  
"Yes, when skies were clear and I saw that Gannon was relatively far away."  
  
"And Fado?"  
  
"I assume he is a spirit like me, but I can no longer leave the Earth Temple. I'm content with my existence, although, sometimes I reminisce of him, and think of how things could have worked out under better circumstances." "I hope you haven't lost hope yet, Laruto."  
  
"There is always hope in this world, Medli.."  
  
"Then trust Link's hope. He may be the Link to reuniting you and Fado. Forgive my unintentional pun." She smiled. "Link. what an interesting name to have."  
  
"Hehe, I hope so, I still hope. This is why I do not see you and Komali as star-crossed. I encourage you to seek him. and perhaps some day, be with him. If anything, I can't permit you to live my lonely life. Fado was the only light that shimmered after my harp showed me the way to Jabun. I wish for you to have all the lights shine for you, Medli."  
  
" Thank you." She said. It was almost like her spark was set on fire once again  
  
"Medli.."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do you feel it?"  
  
"Someone has entered the temple, Laruto.." She did not know how or why she said that, but she new, and she knew it was true.  
  
"Very good." Laruto smiled.  
  
"It is a positive aura. we are safe."  
  
"I'm proud of you already. my daughter." Laruto backed slightly away and disappeared, just as quickly as she appeared the first time.  
  
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Link jogged though the Earth Temple and found Medli, waiting for him outside the main room."Oh Medli, there you are."  
  
"Link!" she exclaimed " I knew it was you! What news from up above?"  
  
"None other than from Komali?"  
  
"Komali?"  
  
"Heh, don't look so surprised, Medli, you knew it was coming."  
  
"I. I guess I don't know what to say. What does Komali has to say?" She asked.  
  
"He just wanted to give you this."  
  
"A Gloranstium?" Tears welded up in her eyes. "My favorite."  
  
"He told me."  
  
"Heh. he must have picked it for me because he knew how hard it was for me to get myself to the top of the Roost alone."  
  
"That is why he did it."  
  
" Komali. I miss you so much.." She couldn't help but let the tears fall from her face.  
  
"It's alright, Medli. I just know you will see him again." Link rubbed her back, comforting as best he could. "Also."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Komali sent his love."  
  
She sighed, blissfully. "Thank you Link. Thank you for bringing this message to me."  
  
"No problem at all." Link smiled.  
  
"And Link?"  
  
"Yes?  
  
"Be safe."  
  
" I will."  
  
" And please tell Komali."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"That I love him too."  
  
"I will be sure to do that. And I will tell him that you will return to him. You will fly in from the horizon when your work is done."  
  
"I will do this. For you. and for Komali." She put her hand on his. Goodbye, Link, Hero of Time, I will pray for your safety.  
  
"Bye Medli. thank you." And with that, Link ran back out the temple and to the King of Red Lions Boat , eager to tell Komali that his love would return to him. someday.. No, someday very soon. 


End file.
